This is definitely one of our favourites, though the introduction tends to be longer than the song. Baring-Gould collected this song in 1893 from John Woodrich of Thrushleton who told Baring-Gould "This was sung by a woman – she was so drunk that she couldn’t sing more than these two verses, and she sung ‘em over and over – that then was no forgetting ‘em. This was out on the line by Tresmeare". This must have been at the time when ‘Ginger Jack’ was navvying and the woman (whom’ Baring-Gould notes against the tune as ‘a tramp’) was probably one of the camp followers. I have not found another version of this song though ‘The Prisoner’s Song’ in the USA is recognisably the same basic song. 'The Prisoner's Song' was written in the Twentieth Century by Guy Massey and popularized by Vernon Dalhart. Somewhere there is a common ancestor.

 

If I had two ships upon the ocean

Both laden with silver and gold

I'd give them both to my sweet William

My sailor so true and so bold

Both to my Willy, both to my Willy

My sailor so true and so bold

 

If I had two wings of an angel

To fly o'er the ocean so blue

I'd fly to the arms of my Willy

My sailor so bold and so true

Fly to my Willy, fly to my Willy

My sailor so bold and so true